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Tirokudda Kanda - Hungry Shades Outside the Walls
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Petavatthu>>'Tirokutta- Petavatthu-Vannanna' ---- 1.5 Petas(Ghosts) Outside The Walls While the teacher(Buddha) was living at Rajagaha, he told this story : Ninety-two kappas(Kalpas/cycles) ago there was a city called Kasi. In that place king Jayasena was reigning ; his queen was called Sirima. Their son Phussa(18th Buddha after Dipankara) attained supreme enlightenment. Now king Jayasena displayed pride , thinking "Since my son , who is born as a Buddha , has made a great renunciation , I alone have the Buddha , I alone have the Dhamma(righteousness) , I alone have the Sangha(church/order)". All the time he was alone in attendance upon him(Phussa the Buddha) and gave no opportunity to others. The three younger brothers of the Phussa Buddha. born of a different mother thought "The Buddhas indeed are born for the benefit of the whole world , not for the sake of just one person. Now our father gives no opportunity to others. How how can we serve the Lord (Phussa) Buddha and his Sangha(order). Come along, let us perform some strategy" . So they caused a disturbance , as it were, on the borderland. then the king , when he heard about this disturbance , sent forth these three sons to pacify the border . They did so, and upon their return , the king in his pleasure granted them a boon saying "take whatever you wish". They said "We wish to serve the Lord (Phussa) Buddha". The king denying this said "Take something else". they replied "We do not care for anything else, please let us serve him at least for seven years ". The king said "No". Then they asked for six years, then five, then four, then three, then two years, then one year, still the king said no. Then they asked for seven months, then six months, five months , four months. Finally The king agreed for three months and said "Well , you can take your choice". They approached the Lord (Phussa) Buddha and said "Reverend Sir, we wish to serve the Lord for three months. let the Lord consent to spend with us for three months the retreat of the rainy season(vassa). " The Lord Buddha(Phussa) agreed. The three sons personally sent a written message to the man appointed over the province, saying "During these three months we must serve the Blessed one; beginning with a monastery; provide all needs". Then they served with due honour the Lord Buddha(Phussa) and the order of the monks(sangha). When they , as rulers of the province , had dedicated the monastery, the observed the retreat of the rainy season(vassa). One of them a royal treasurer , the son of a householder , a follower, together with his wife, found faith. He duly gave a donation to the order of the monks whose head was the (Phussa) Buddha. The man was set over the province followed his example and with eleven thousand people gave gifts with all due honour. On that occasion some people were offended in heart, having hindered contributions , they themselves ate the gifts and burnt down the dining hall with fire. After the king's sons with their attendants had honoured the Lord Buddha(Phussa) and gave him farewell , they went directly to their father. Upon his return The Lord Buddha(Phussa) attained nirvana (liberation) ; the king's sons and the royal treasurer and those who served , in due course of time, died and were reborn in heaven, But the people who were offended in heart were reborn in hell. Thus ninety one kappas(kalpas/cycles) passed by, as these two states of persons were reborn respectively from heaven to heaven and from hell to hell. Then in that one auspicious cycle, at the time of Lord Kassapa(another Buddha) , the people who offended were reborn among the petas(ghosts). At that time, people themselves would give a gift for the benefit of their peta ancestors and say "Let this be for our relatives". Those petas (ghosts) received happiness. Then these petas too noticed this, and having approached Kassapa(the earlier Buddha) , asked him "How now, reverend sir, can we too attain such a bliss?" The Lord (Buddha Kassapa) replied "At this time , you cannot attain it , but in time to come , there will be a universal Buddha named Gotama(present one); in the time of that Lord Buddha , there will be a king named Bimbisara, who will be a kinsman unto you after a cycle is over. He will give a gift to the Buddha and ascribe its credit to you; then you will attain (the happiness)". Now when this was spoken , the petas thought as if it was said "Tomorrow you shall receive". Then after this Buddha-interval had passed, (Present Gotama) Lord Buddha was born in the world ; the three princes too with a thousand men passed from the world of devas and were reborn in the kingdom of Magadha in brahman (priest) families. In course of time , having given up worldly life, the three became ascetics with matted hair, stayed at Gayasisa ; the man set over the province became King Bimbisara ; the royal treasurer , the son of the householder , became a rich man called Visakha , his wife became daughter of a rich man and was known as Dhammadinna ; but rest of the people became attendants of the king. Now Buddha(Gotama) came to the world and attained enlightenment . Then after seven weeks ,came to Benares and there started rolling the wheel of Dhamma(path). he instructed the three ascetics , after he had begun with a group of five, and obtained as many as a thousand followers. then he proceeded to Rajagaha and established king Bimbisara in the fruits of the first awakening (Sotapatti) together with eleven myriads of brahman and laymen dwelling in Anga(Bengal) & Magadha(Bihar). Then The king invited Buddha and his many followers the next day for a donation as meal. The Buddha and his followers were led to the kings place by Sakka(Indra) , the Lord of heavens(angels) , who assumed the form of a human and sang praises of Lord Buddha. The petas(ghosts) , surrounded the house thinking "Now the king will give donation for our credit". As the king gave donation (of the meal) , he thought only "Where now , I wonder , may the Lord Buddha be staying?". Accordingly he did not give credit of the donation to anyone. Thus , since the petas , who had not received a donation , were without hope, they uttered during the night dreadful outcry at the king's residence. The agitated king told the Lord Buddha , at daybreak, of what had occurred and asked "Did you hear a noise like that ? Reverend sir, I wonder now what may happen to me." Lord Buddha replied "Do not fear great king; no evil will come to you, but prosperity will come your way. These are your people reborn among the petas(ghosts) . For one Buddha interval they have been wandering about, yearning just for this 'He will bestow upon the Buddha a donation and transfer the credit to us in merit.' Yesterday when you presented the donation , you made no transfer of the credit. Consequently they have lost hope and uttered outcry". the king said "How now, reverend sir , could they obtain what is given as a donation?". Buddha said "Indeed they can , great king". The king said "Then , reverend sir, let the Lord Buddha accept my invitation for tomorrow; I shall transfer to them the virtue of the donation". The lord Buddha agreed. Then the king had the generous bounty prepared and had the time announced to the Lord Buddha, who came to the royal palace. The petas came thinking "Today we shall get something" , and stood outside the walls and fences. The Lord Buddha then brought it about that everyone of them became visible to the king. As the King gave water to wash in , he ascribed the to them the merit with the words "Let this be for my kinsmen(petas)". Instantly there came into existence for the petas, lotus pond full of lotuses and water lilies. They bathed and drank there , and alleviated of their sufferings from distress, fatigue and thirst, they became gold coloured. The king handed out rice and gruel and solid and soft food and again transferred the merit of donation to petas. Immediately the petas received deva-foods(heavenly food) of which they joyfully ate. The king made a donation of clothes and dwellings and again transferred the merit of donation to petas. there came into existence for them deva-clothes, deva-mansions, couches, covers and ornaments. The Lord Buddha so resolved that all this bliss of theirs should be manifest to the king, who , seeing this way, was very much pleased. then the Lord Buddha, having eaten and being invited, in order to thank King Bimbisara, told the story of the petas(ghosts) outside the walls: 1. "They stand outside the walls and at the open spaces and at the cross roads ; they are standing at the doorposts, having gone to their house ." 2."Although abundant food and drink, hard and soft, are served, no one needs these beings because of their acts." 3. "They who are compassionate give their kinsmen(petas) at the proper time pure, excellent, suitable food and drink (with these words) 'Let this be for our kinsmen(petas) ; let the relatives(ancestors) be blessed!' ". 4. "And these coming together there , the departed spirits of the kinsmen who have assembled greatly rejoice at the abundant food and drink, saying :" 5." 'long live our kinsmen through whom we receive. Piety has been shown to us, and givers are not without reward' " 6." 'For there is no ploughing there (in afterlife) , nor is cowherding found there ; nor is there trading there as here, nor commerce with gold' " 7. " ' with gifts from here , the petas, the dead in the other world, maintain themselves , As water rained on a height flows down to low ground, even so the gift hence given supports the petas. ' " 8. " 'Just as full streams of water fill the ocean, even so the gift hence given supports the petas' ". 9." 'My kinsfolk and companions , each one gave to me, worked for me. May each one give donation to the petas , remembering what was done in their past' " 10. " 'For mere weeping or grief or any other lamentation is of no avail; all this is of no help to the departed person. Such a practice have the kinsmen.' " 11. " ' but indeed this gift which is given and well established in the Sangha (order of monks) serves with immediate effect , for a long time , for the benefit of the departed.' " 12 " ' Now this is the duty defined for kinsmen; to the petas, moreover, high piety has been paid, and strength has been bestowed upon the monks. No little good has been done by you.' " At the end of the discourse , insight into Dhamma was received by eighty-four thousand people whose understanding began, as it were, from the incident of rebirth in the realm of the petas(ghosts). Their hearts were stirred with praise ; and they made sincere efforts. On the following day, the Lord Buddha taught to devas(angels) and men this same discourse of "Outside the Walls". Thus for as long as seven days there was such an acceptance of the faith to this Dhamma.